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JNU students waging war on India: Nirmala Sitharaman

JNU students’ union president N Sai Balaji condemned the baseless allegations and said that the govt wants to divert attention from the real issues - the Rafale deal, the Jio university, unemployment and want to end public-funded education and encourage corporatisation while the common man talks about nationalism and anti-national elements.

Delhi: The anti-national rhetoric was once again used against JNU students and this time by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who alleged that forces within the university are “waging a war” against India.

On Tuesday, Sitharaman, an alumnus of the university, said during an interaction with journalists at the Indian Women’s Press Corps that she felt “sad at many things happening” in the university in the last few years. “The kind of things happening in last few years have not been encouraging at all. It is very different to have a party, whose ideology I may not agree (with), but the way in which they have probably got led by forces which are anti-India — when I say anti-India, definitely it is a stated position they are waging a war against India in their pamphlets and their brochures…,” she said.

“Such people leading the JNUSU or JNUSU members openly participating with such programmes… you don’t need to hesitate to say anti-India led them,” she said. “There are forces which are waging a war against India and it is they who are also seen with elected representatives of the students’ union. That makes me feel uneasy,” she said.

Her statement came after Leftist candidates won all four key positions in the JNU student union elections which were marred by violence and clashes between the RSS-backed Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA).

JNU students’ union president N Sai Balaji condemned the baseless allegations and said that these were ploys to curb dissent. “The government wants the country to talk about the national versus anti-national debate. They want to divert attention from the real issues - the Rafale deal, the Jio university, unemployment. They want to end public-funded education and encourage corporatisation while the common man talks about nationalism and anti-national elements,” he said in a report by Hindustan Times.

Talking to Sabrang India, Aejaz Ahmad Rather, General Secretary, JNUSU said, “It is a strong reaction by the Union government which is backed by RSS. They are shocked by the election results and are not able to digest. This is not the first time they have used this anti-national rhetoric to discredit us. The constant harassment faced by Umar Khalid and Kanhaiya Kumar is proof that even the courts support and acquittal wont make these forces back down. JNU admin has not taken any action against the perpetrators of the campus violence by ABVP after the elections. They have been given complete impunity by these statements made by Sitharaman. The climate has been further vitiated due to Media trials. Such irresponsible statements are harmful. Hostels are being raided by guards every 20-25 days and its lights off by 7 pm. It is a way to curb our movements and we will counter this.”

Full text of JNUSU statement on comments made by Nirmala Sitharaman:

The JNUSU is deeply dismayed by the statements made by Union Minister and former JNU alumnus, Nirmala Sitharaman. As a former student of this university and as a senior minister, such statements calling JNUSU members anti-India and 'waging a war against India' is utterly baseless and condemnable.

We see this as a continuation of the systematic slander against the JNU students and faculty that has resulted in numerous attacks on students and teachers, such as the one on Sanjay Kumar in Motihari, Bihar or elsewhere.

The political and ideological defeat of the RSS in JNU in the recent JNUSU elections is being countered through such malicious propaganda and slander. The JNU community is reeling under threats of violence over the last couple of days and the statements of the Minister is completely inimical to the restoration of normalcy. She is playing with fire and instigating more hatred against the students of this university from a position of immense power and responsibilities.

We demand that she retracts such an irresponsible and baseless statement immediately and issues an apology to the JNUSU and JNU student community for partaking in such vile slander and hate mongering.

JNUSU

Full Text of JNUSU Hostel meetings held on September 18:

Yesterday a meeting of hostel presidents was called by the JNUSU to discuss the recent circulars by IHA following the post election violence on campus. The following decisions were taken:

It was unanimously decided to conduct hostel GBMs in all hostels to reject the new restrictions that are being imposed by the IHA. It was particularly decided to not comply with the checking of icards in respective hostels. Hostel residents should not show their icards to security while entering their own hostels.

Secondly, the non- issuance of mess coupons to students from other hostels shall not be complied with. Mess committees in every hostel would ensure that non-residents of a hostel are allowed to eat in the mess on purchase of coupons.
Thirdly, guests shall be allowed in hostel as was done earlier following the previous rules and regulations.

The hostels where conducting of GBMs will not be feasible shall conduct signature campaigns to reject the restrictions put by the administration through the recent circulars.
The closure of dhabas and canteens on campus shall be resisted.

From the JNUSU we appeal to all students to not comply with the recent surveillance and restrictions imposed by the administration across hostels. We demand that the administration take action against the perpetrators of violence post elections on campus and not put restrictions on students of this campus through circulars and notices. We appeal to everyone to uphold the peaceful and democratic ethos of this campus.